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18 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE MAY 14, 2015
CELEBRATIONS
TORAH
Engagement
Rest is a must for healthy, spiritual living
Mitnick/Eckers: Margy and Barry
Mitnick of Pittsburgh are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Sarah, to Scott Matthew Eckers, son of Linda and Allen Eckers of Swan Lake, N.Y. Jenny has a bachelor’s degree in history from Brown University and a master’s in education from Harvard University. She is working on a doctorate in social studies education at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York. Jenny was a social studies teacher for nine years at Seneca Valley Middle School in Harmony, Pa. Scott has a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in literacy education from Binghamton University and is working on a doctorate in learning and
not until I had read this week’s parshah that it occurred to me — in the 30 years as caretaker of my garden, not once have I let it lie fallow. It has missed four sabbatical years of rest during those three decades, which is more than halfway to the Jubilee year of rest. Like the land, we humans need our rest. In great wisdom, the Holy One gave us the gift of rest every seventh day and also commanded us to observe it. In the closing verse of Behar, we find this admonition: “You shall keep My Sabbaths and venerate My sanctuary, Mine, the Lord’s.” This concept of a day of rest every seven days was new to all peoples of the ancient world, not only to the former slaves to whom it was given. In conflict with this commandment is our American work culture, which oftentimes demands more of our time. It’s not unusual for many of us to be “on call” to the office or on duty seven, and not six days, of the week. How many of us regularly scroll through work e-mails or take work-related calls on a Saturday? How many of us eschew the vacations to which we are entitled? For many of us, Shabbat is crammed full of errands and work. We never allow ourselves to “lie fallow,” and so we seldom give ourselves the opportunity to renew and recharge. We should take to heart the lesson in this week’s Torah portion, see the seventh day of rest as a necessity and approach the Holy One’s gift with anticipation and joy. And, if we are in a position to do so, plant milkweed in some rested soil for the monarch! Chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek!
BY CANTOR M ICHAL G RAY SCHAFFER
Parshat BeharBechukotai Leviticus 25:127:34
teaching with an emphasis in social studies at Hofstra University in New York. He is a social studies teacher at H.B. Thompson Middle School in Syosset, N.Y. A summer 2015 wedding is planned in New York.
B’nai Mitzvah Joshua Aaron Brody, son of Sharon Ryave Brody
and Lee H. Brody, will become a bar mitzvah on Saturday, May 16 at 10:30 a.m. at Temple Emanuel of South Hills. Grandparents are Gail Ryave and Pop Acevedo of Pittsburgh, the late Arnold H. Ryave and Lucille and Edmund A. Brody of Yardley, Pa.
Jeffrey Henry Hertzberg, son of Todd and Susan Hertzberg of Pittsburgh, will become a bar mitzvah on Saturday, May 16 at Temple Ohav Shalom. Grandparents are Liz Dolci and the late Sonny Dolci of Northport, N.Y. and Sheila Hertzberg and the late Howard Hertzberg of Alpine, N.J.
Rachel Sophia Mandelkorn, daughter of Dr. and
Mrs. Robert M. Mandelkorn of Fort Myers, Fla., will become a bat mitzvah on Saturday, May 16 at 9:30 a.m. at Ahavath Achim in Carnegie (the Carnegie Shul). Friends and members of the congregation are invited; a reception will follow at noon. Dr. Mandelkorn lived and worked in Pittsburgh from 1980 to 2000. In 2001, he moved to Fort Myers with his family and has maintained his ties to Pittsburgh.
With this week’s double Torah portion of Behar-Bechukotai, we finish the book of Vayikra, or Leviticus. The verses in Behar detail the Holy One’s commandments for resting the land given to the Israelites every seventh, or sabbatical, year as well as His laws for the Jubilee, the 50th year. These regulations for resting the land reminded me of some of my recent experiences — and failures — with gardening. I love to garden, despite having the problems of a city-dwelling gardener: too little land and not enough sun. Every inch of the usable portion of our land has been planted in the 30 years I have happily gardened there. A few years ago, my son and I went to the Carnegie Science Center to see a movie about monarch butterflies. We were alarmed to learn about the endangered status of the monarch. According to the movie, the population of this butterfly has been reduced 90 percent in recent years because of the near eradication of milkweed, the monarch caterpillar’s only food source, and the butterfly’s habitat being lost to urban sprawl. My son and I were touched by the plight of the monarch. Since then, I have been trying to introduce milkweed into my garden, with little success. Generally I have a “green thumb,” so I’ve been puzzled at my inability to grow milkweed, an uncultivated plant that used to grow “like a weed” in the wild. It was
Cantor Michal Gray-Schaffer is the spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Abraham in Butler. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association.
Name: donor jaffe
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North Huntingdon
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Find out what’s happening 24/7 @thejewishchronicle.net. Then find out what it means, each week in The Jewish Chronicle. For home delivery, call 412.687.1000.
CELEBRATIONS
TORAH
Engagement
Rest is a must for healthy, spiritual living
Mitnick/Eckers: Margy and Barry
Mitnick of Pittsburgh are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Sarah, to Scott Matthew Eckers, son of Linda and Allen Eckers of Swan Lake, N.Y. Jenny has a bachelor’s degree in history from Brown University and a master’s in education from Harvard University. She is working on a doctorate in social studies education at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York. Jenny was a social studies teacher for nine years at Seneca Valley Middle School in Harmony, Pa. Scott has a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in literacy education from Binghamton University and is working on a doctorate in learning and
not until I had read this week’s parshah that it occurred to me — in the 30 years as caretaker of my garden, not once have I let it lie fallow. It has missed four sabbatical years of rest during those three decades, which is more than halfway to the Jubilee year of rest. Like the land, we humans need our rest. In great wisdom, the Holy One gave us the gift of rest every seventh day and also commanded us to observe it. In the closing verse of Behar, we find this admonition: “You shall keep My Sabbaths and venerate My sanctuary, Mine, the Lord’s.” This concept of a day of rest every seven days was new to all peoples of the ancient world, not only to the former slaves to whom it was given. In conflict with this commandment is our American work culture, which oftentimes demands more of our time. It’s not unusual for many of us to be “on call” to the office or on duty seven, and not six days, of the week. How many of us regularly scroll through work e-mails or take work-related calls on a Saturday? How many of us eschew the vacations to which we are entitled? For many of us, Shabbat is crammed full of errands and work. We never allow ourselves to “lie fallow,” and so we seldom give ourselves the opportunity to renew and recharge. We should take to heart the lesson in this week’s Torah portion, see the seventh day of rest as a necessity and approach the Holy One’s gift with anticipation and joy. And, if we are in a position to do so, plant milkweed in some rested soil for the monarch! Chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek!
BY CANTOR M ICHAL G RAY SCHAFFER
Parshat BeharBechukotai Leviticus 25:127:34
teaching with an emphasis in social studies at Hofstra University in New York. He is a social studies teacher at H.B. Thompson Middle School in Syosset, N.Y. A summer 2015 wedding is planned in New York.
B’nai Mitzvah Joshua Aaron Brody, son of Sharon Ryave Brody
and Lee H. Brody, will become a bar mitzvah on Saturday, May 16 at 10:30 a.m. at Temple Emanuel of South Hills. Grandparents are Gail Ryave and Pop Acevedo of Pittsburgh, the late Arnold H. Ryave and Lucille and Edmund A. Brody of Yardley, Pa.
Jeffrey Henry Hertzberg, son of Todd and Susan Hertzberg of Pittsburgh, will become a bar mitzvah on Saturday, May 16 at Temple Ohav Shalom. Grandparents are Liz Dolci and the late Sonny Dolci of Northport, N.Y. and Sheila Hertzberg and the late Howard Hertzberg of Alpine, N.J.
Rachel Sophia Mandelkorn, daughter of Dr. and
Mrs. Robert M. Mandelkorn of Fort Myers, Fla., will become a bat mitzvah on Saturday, May 16 at 9:30 a.m. at Ahavath Achim in Carnegie (the Carnegie Shul). Friends and members of the congregation are invited; a reception will follow at noon. Dr. Mandelkorn lived and worked in Pittsburgh from 1980 to 2000. In 2001, he moved to Fort Myers with his family and has maintained his ties to Pittsburgh.
With this week’s double Torah portion of Behar-Bechukotai, we finish the book of Vayikra, or Leviticus. The verses in Behar detail the Holy One’s commandments for resting the land given to the Israelites every seventh, or sabbatical, year as well as His laws for the Jubilee, the 50th year. These regulations for resting the land reminded me of some of my recent experiences — and failures — with gardening. I love to garden, despite having the problems of a city-dwelling gardener: too little land and not enough sun. Every inch of the usable portion of our land has been planted in the 30 years I have happily gardened there. A few years ago, my son and I went to the Carnegie Science Center to see a movie about monarch butterflies. We were alarmed to learn about the endangered status of the monarch. According to the movie, the population of this butterfly has been reduced 90 percent in recent years because of the near eradication of milkweed, the monarch caterpillar’s only food source, and the butterfly’s habitat being lost to urban sprawl. My son and I were touched by the plight of the monarch. Since then, I have been trying to introduce milkweed into my garden, with little success. Generally I have a “green thumb,” so I’ve been puzzled at my inability to grow milkweed, an uncultivated plant that used to grow “like a weed” in the wild. It was
Cantor Michal Gray-Schaffer is the spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Abraham in Butler. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association.
Name: donor jaffe
Great Subaru Prices.
Name: Kenny Ross Automotive Group Width: 5.041" Depth: 3.25" Color: Black Comment: Display Ad Number: 10011010
GET THE news. THEN GET THE FULL STORY. T
North Huntingdon
724-864-5100
Find out what’s happening 24/7 @thejewishchronicle.net. Then find out what it means, each week in The Jewish Chronicle. For home delivery, call 412.687.1000.
